Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-23
DAILY HERALD.
NEW YORK BATHS.
GOthamitcs hid Fair to Rival the
Ancient Romans.


go with my family to the mountains is
simply because l cannot enjoy my
bath as l do in town. bathe in ice
cold water all the year round, and l
have never had cold or a sore throat
since 1 began the practice. In the
country man can never get a good
bath when he wants it-before break
fast-and so he beginst the day wrong"
The bath has almost grown to the
proportions of fad in New York.
Apartments without bathroom are
not to be thought Of. and tubs are
distributed through the hotels in a
fashion that would crafty the spirit of
the ancient Romans. Everywhere
the bath is the principal subject OF
talk of renting ats or houses. Many
y private residence in New York
is embellished with bathroom
that is modelled on the famous one in
the Vanderbilt mansi n. | had the
pleasure, the other day, of looking
over the cuts that have been prepared
for an article on this subject for one
Of the magazines. The article will
probably appear within fifteen years.
There were twelve photographs of the
bathrooms in the houses OF prominent
New Workers. Most OF them were
apartments ten to fourteen feet square,
with the walls and ceilings of marble
or porcelain tiles, and the floor a
more or less expensive mosaic. Light
was admitted through stained glass
windows, and the bath proper was
plunge of four or five feet deep, and
as many feet square. surrounded by a
bronze railing. Marble steps led
down from different sides, and the
arrangements of the faucets, showers,
etc, were modelled ON classical orig
inals Several of these bathrooms
represent in themselves an outlay of
thousands of dollars. and they put
the primeval tub to the blush.
Baths are building everywhere about
town. A new one, which will soon be
thrown open, is under the Produce
Exchange, and it is in many respects
one of the most costly bathing places |
in the world. Several hundred thou
sand dollars have already been spent |
on it. Salt water is carried directly |
from the bay, and is kept running |
through the bath constantly. There |
are rooms where thirty attendants are
mt hand to scrub, rub and douse with |
alcohol the festive bathers. The main
tank is sixty feet one way by fifty the
other, and runs in depth from five to
nine feet.
All along the river front, both in the
Fast and North rivers, the public
baths are now open, and in many
places there are baths established as
business ventures in competition with
them. Baths of this description are
made of wood, and are nothing more
or less than huge hollow squares with
q floor grating that keeps the bathers
from going too deep. They are fioated
near some pier and bathing suits, to-
gether with the privilege of swimming
for an hour, cost from fifteen to twen-
ty-five cents. All sorts and conditions
of men, boys and children attend
them.
Certain hours are set aside for the
bathers of the gentler sex. They are
forced to wear suits OF regular pat
tern, and it is necessary to be very
strict i'm the matter, for the women
are proverbially careless about con-
cealing their charms when men are
not about. Some of them swim in a
fashion that would astonish the pro-
fessionals, and they dive off the rail-
ings and play all sorts of pranks with
each other, precisely as schoolboys
do. remember once having a
look at bath when it was occupied |
exclusively by women. A man was
going to buy the place and l went with |
him to look at it. He went over the |
establishment while l stared at the |
bathers with unremitting industry. 1t |
was in one of the poor wards of the |
town, and most OF the girls were fac
tory operatives and shop employees
Many of them had brought old calico
wrappers with them to serve as bath
ing suits, but the restrictions of the
bath would not permit this, and they
were forced to wear more suitable cos
tunes. The display of magniicently
proportioned figures and graceful out
lines would have driven Fifth avenue
mad with envy.
The best society swims. There are
now in the vicinity of Fifth avenue
several bathing establishments which
represent large outlay of capital, and
which are patronized only by people
of high social pretentions. One OF
them is in charge of an acute and
shrewd Swede, who says openly that
he will not allow any middle class
people" to visit his place.
81 never touch anything" he said
to me one day, composcdly, (Which is
not of the upper crust. l instruct the
aristocratic people of New York how
to swim; will not have anything to
do with the humber elements of the
town. This is partially because like
it, and partially because bath that
is run exclusively for the best class of
society will be literally patronized.
My places occupies four city lots, for
which paid $85, 900 before l began to
build. The expenses are very large,
as it is necessary to keep the pool
warm enough in winter to adj
init of bathing, and all of
the accessories are in good taste"
This was true to an eminent degree. |
Everything that the water touched |
was marble or silver, and the dressing
rooms were models of comfort and ele- |
gince. Illustrated magazines and |
papers were scattered about the read |
ing rooms and the attendants were all |
in snowy uniforms. There were prob
ably half dozen ladies swimming at
the time. They wore very light and
close-fitting bathing suits, and their
instructors we're women. One of
the swimmers was a society lady
whose face has been familiar to New
Workers at the opera and fashionable
balls for several seasons. She is a
dainty little woman, with face as
delicate as cameo, and she has soft
voice and gentle manner. She re-
minds one of nun, she is 30 quiet
and demure. The day that glanced
in the bath she was just emerging
from her dressing room. Her trim